Weeds

(johnson.k-state.edu)

Ponder with me if you will… since that’s the whole point of these blog posts. Just as Jesus told parables to illustrate a point He really wanted His disciples to grasp and comprehend, I see all around me points that illustrate Who He is and what His kingdom is all about! He uses what we CAN see, to reveal to us the greater thing that are yet UNseen. 

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” – Matthew 13:24-25 

Pastor Mark Cowart (Church For All Nations, Colorado Springs, Colorado) referenced this scripture Sunday morning. He’s teaching a series on the dangerous lies we believe. Our lives are shaped by the things we take to heart and believe. That easily makes sense. But do we stop to think about just how easy it is for us to be presented with ideas that don’t come from God? How easy is it for the enemy of our souls to drop little tidbits along the path of our lives, that we scoop up like candy and cling to, not bothering to ask God if they’re from Him or not? 

While we’re sleeping or occupied with other things, our enemy plants weeds and thorns in the harvest of our lives. When we’re busy, or not paying close attention or things other than the Word of God demand our attention, it’s easy for those weeds to thrive. They may even look like the very crops we thought we were growing! The ‘tares’ that were planted in the parable Jesus shared were weeds that look like wheat. They weren’t discovered until they started to grow and were noticed by those working the garden.

(housemanservices.com)

When we’re too busy to spend time with God and in His Word (sometimes, we’re even too busy doing things for the kingdom of God), we get distracted from the truths He’s trying to share with us. Weeds grow up in the garden of our lives, and we may not even notice until it’s harvest time. By then, they’ve got a place in our lives, and it may not be easy to pull them out without tearing out the good things we’ve stored up along the way, too. By the time we notice a weed, and by weed, I mean a lie or falsehood that we’ve built our beliefs and our lives around, it can be devastating to examine ourselves and see that we’re not living the lives that God intended for us to live. And remember, some weeds can be beautiful.

(thegrassmaster.com)

God can redeem the days we’ve lost to lies and false beliefs, but we need to turn to Him now – while there’s still time and turn away from the things that were not from Him and turn TO all that He has planned for us. That’s the meaning of repentance. Even when everyone around us thinks we look good on the outside, or that we have it all together, God knows our heart. He knows our every weakness and loves us still. 

God isn’t out to punish us for the wrong we’ve done, He wants to redeem us from the life that’s permitted us to do those wrong things in the first place. He’s not waiting for us to mess up, He’s watching and waiting like the father of the prodigal son – for the moment we appear on the horizon with our hearts in tow to surrender to Him. 

1 John 3:20 reveals to us that, “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” Don’t walk around in condemnation. Romans 8:1 tells us that, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”

Simply, ask God what He’s trying to share with you today. Get into His Word and find His answer!

I Doubt It

(cbn.com)

Sometimes I get a little pitiful. Just a few minutes ago, my phone rang. I heard it, but I couldn’t see it. I knew where it was supposed to be. I thought I’d plugged it in to charge, but it wasn’t there on the counter by the plug. I spun around in circles, listening for it, I didn’t get any closer to or further from the ringing. Times like this I get so frustrated with myself. How can I lose something while using it? Or having just used it? How can I not find my phone? It’s never that far from me! It makes me doubt my own sanity. I’ve been sitting here at my kitchen table, writing a letter and lost the pen I was writing with! How can this be? No. There are no roaming ghosts in my house. The only ghost here is the Holy Ghost. Sometimes I find my pen, sometimes I never do. But, my phone? I need my phone. I can always go to the drawer and grab another pen, but I only have one phone. Where was it, you ask? In my pocket. I hope you’re laughing at me, too, because I am.

I’ve also done ditzy things like apply a wet, hot washcloth to my face – without taking my glasses off first. Who does this?

No, I don’t have dementia. I’m not going crazy. But, it goes to show you how simple things can cause us to doubt ourselves. They can cause us to stop trusting our own judgement.

(faithdisrupted.com)

It’s just as easy to doubt God. Crazy, I know. But, true. We look at something simple in the flesh and we don’t make the spiritual connection and we begin to question whether God knows what He’s doing.

We often ask, why does God allow bad things to happen to good people. Wasn’t there a book with that title?

If I can’t find the phone in my own pocket, or the glasses on my own head, how can I seriously believe I understand every little thing about how God moves in our lives? How can I think I fully understand the Word of God when the pen I was just writing with has completely disappeared and I have no earthly explanation for where it’s gone?

Yet, there are many who toss aside their Bibles, muttering to themselves, “I’ve read this, it doesn’t help.” I have friends who have given up on the power of prayer because they’ve prayed and didn’t see their answers manifest according the instructions they’d given to God. Reading the Bible and knowing God are not the same thing.

(phillyvoice.com)

I’m not saying God is too complex to understand, but I don’t think I know anyone who will gather a complete understanding of Who He is before they leave this world. Our understanding is finite. God is infinite.

My neighbor and I were just talking about Peter walking on the water to Jesus. He did great, as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. The minute he looked at the waves blowing up around him, he sunk into the water. Immediately, Jesus reached out and grabbed his hand. How far out did he walk? Watching the waves and paying attention to the wind caused him to doubt what Jesus had just said to him.

In that same way, when we listen to a diagnosis, or feel pain in our bodies, it’s just as easy to take our eyes off Jesus; to doubt what He’s promised us in His Word.

What are some examples of what you see around you that causes unbelief to stir up inside of you? What situations make it easy for doubt to raise its ugly head and sneer at you?

If we can doubt ourselves and each other, how can we not take into account that we doubt God? Yes, we’re the ones doing the doubting. God’s existence and love for us isn’t in question.

It’s not God that’s failing us. It’s us that fail to believe in God. It’s us who doubt. It’s us who turn away too quickly, who give up before we triumph, sometimes even turning to pity or bitterness.

We may insist we believe in God. But, in effect, most of us merely believe in a higher power, an anonymous, shapeless, unidentifiable, helpless entity, who does nothing at all for mankind. That’s not believing in God.

(crosswalk.com)

Is it easier to believe that God won’t help us than it is to believe He does?

I know that I know that I know that my God is intimately involved in every single aspect of my life, even the parts I don’t understand, myself.

My lack of understanding doesn’t negate the God of the universe.

When our lack of understanding rises to that level, we’ve made ourselves into our own god, and we’ve failed ourselves.

It’s time to get back to our first love. It’s time to get back to the basics of God’s Word, to nourish ourselves with the milk of the word, since we’ve begun to choke on the meat.

Repent. Do you now what it means? It simply means to turn around. When we recognize we’re messing up doubting or going the wrong way completely – it’s as simple as turning around.

Jesus said, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” – Mark 11:23

Not addressing what “this mountain” might be right now, just pondering how much we doubt…..

(luxecoliving.com)

Correction

(photo from goodhousekeeping.com)

Okay, nothing as embarrassing (but, clearly needed) as a spiritual time out.

Not too long ago, I woke up complaining. It’s a nasty habit I need to break, for sure. But, I clearly heard God say to me, “If you’re complaining about someone, you’re not praying for them. If you were sincerely praying for them, you wouldn’t want to hinder those prayers with doubt, unbelief, grumblings and complaining.” Ouch!

Proverbs 3:12 tells us plainly, “For whom the Lord loves, he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delights.” (KJV)

Of course, He’s right. He’s always right. Those are the arguments we can’t win, there’s no defense when God points out something like that. Conviction sets in, repentance falls from your heart and you start over, yet again.

(photo from parents.com)

Makes me ponder the point: how many of our prayers go unanswered because we ask amiss. (“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss….” – James 4:3 KJV) Surely, it would be considered asking amiss to pray and complain about the same person/situation.

Do you have that one person or situation you find yourself complaining about a lot? In the Old Testament, God became so angry with the Israelites for grumbling and complaining that the ground opened up and swallowed a bunch of them. (Numbers 16)

Thank God for the covenant of grace!

I just wanted to share this “spanking” with all of you, so that God doesn’t have to chastise you, too. Or, perhaps, so that He can use this blog post to do the chastising for Him.

Heads up: Complaining and praying do NOT go hand in hand.

Mark 11:24-26 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:24-26 (KJV)

Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go they way; first be reconciled to they brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 (KJV)

(picture from weclipart.com)

More Mercy

(pinterest.com)

Lord, forgive me. Forgive my selfish ways and rid me of them.

Could it be anything but pride that rises up in me 

insisting on my own way?

Offenses come too easily for this Princess!

I yearn to be more like my Father, creative and loving.

When criticism takes control of my tongue and lashes out words that don’t resemble love in any way, 

sorrow and anguish squeeze my heart

and every soul it encroaches upon.

You live in me, O Lord! If the colors I spill out into my world fall through the facets of the stained glass windows of my soul, clean them - so that only Your love shines through 

the uniqueness You designed into me.

With Your healing hand and the Balm of Gilead, through the life-giving power of the Blood of Jesus, wash me and make me new; again.

Rejoicing with gratefulness, I thank You; again.

Taking in Your mercy, let’s unfold today, together; again.

Day One……

(jacqueswatkins.com)

“…We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.” – Daniel 9:18 (NIV)

I'm All Thumbs

(photo from howcast.com)

Watching the man beside me in church type so quickly with his thumbs amazed me as much as it does my grandson to watch me use all of my fingers to fly through words without looking, almost as quickly as I can talk. No wonder they don’t bother to offer classes in keyboarding to grade school and middle school children anymore. If they’re going to use their thumbs, it’s just a matter of practice to gain speed.

Is this a “bad” thing?

Well, to me, it’s not a good thing, but I’m still learning that my way isn’t always the only good way to do things! Others may actually come up with better ways of doing what needs to be done, in an even timelier manner. Ouch!

Just because something looks new or different to me doesn’t mean I should assume it’s inferior to what I consider normal.

Having just spent some time “back home”, accompanying my mother to mass every day, I repeatedly prayed the Lord’s prayer using the word “trespass” instead of “debt”. This brought to my remembrance the story of a young boy, who, in complete innocence prayed, “…forgive us our trash passing as we forgive those who pass trash against us…”

Ponder that.

This little boy’s understanding of his prayer could be “corrected” – but, he wasn’t “wrong”.

Who has “passed trash” our way; often piling it up quickly?

Better yet; who are we burying with the “trash” we pass along?  

(picture from barbarakoob.com)

1 John 1:9 assures us that: “God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness” – in other words, He’s faithful to forgive us of all that we do to offend Him and to clean all that “trash” off of us.

But, the people around us, whether strangers or friends, can’t always see our heart, especially if we’re busy at the work of building safety walls around it. They many find it difficult or even impossible to forgive us for all the trash we pass their way.

It’s just as hard for us to see their hidden hearts, often making it unthinkable for us to forgive them for all the trash they pile up at the door of our heart, begging us to ask, “Why are they doing this to me??”

(photo from orangemuscle.com)

Recall the Lord’s prayer says, “…forgive us as we forgive…”

That line could make this a scary prayer if we don’t have a very forgiving heart.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV)

Notice, we’re not led to pray, “Lord, search my neighbor’s heart and point out their wicked ways….”

What does this have to do with typing with our thumbs?

Simply to say that for my heart to be set free and be healed of the piles of damage it’s sustained over the years, and in order for my life to change course, I may need to do some things differently. I may need to look at what’s going on around me from a different point of view; I may need to ask myself, “What is God’s take on this?” – and I may have to face the fact that His point of view may be quite different than mine, or even than what I think His should be. I want to line up with Him and do things the way He wants me to, even when it costs me; I may feel embarrassed, I will be humbled…. 

But, if I want to heal and grown I need to change my thinking. I need to get out of the rut of thinking that the way I’ve always seen things is the only way they can possibly be…..

What a startling revelation!

(Meme from alanon.actionboard.com)

Pastor recently quoted a paraphrase of the Serenity Prayer, I loved it! It went something like this:

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change

The courage to change the one I can

And the wisdom to know – it’s me

Selah!

(Meme from whatwillmatter.com)

My Arrogant Way

(photo from eldermatthews.blogspot.com)

Have you ever been told, “It’s my way or the highway…”? Okay, perhaps you weren’t told those words, but it was made clear to you that this is how the other person felt. Perhaps you were even the person behind those words.

Am I alone in this? I think I can compromise when it’s necessary, but, I often want things my way; or – worse yet, the way I think things should be. I’m going to go out there on a limb and guess that a whole new world of possibilities will open up for me once I get it through my thick skull that my way isn’t always the only correct way, and that my perspective isn’t always the only correct perspective.

My world view is just that; mine. It’s come to my attention that I don’t see things the way everyone else does. I see them through my own, very unique perspective. It’s the only perspective that I can actually see through, unless I borrow your glasses.

I imagine that if I lived during the days of Noah, I’d be one in the crowd mocking him for his efforts. If God didn’t speak the mission to me, I wouldn’t get it.

Because God speaks to me the way He does, it’s wrong for me to presume He’ll speak to you in the exact same way. He knows how to reach me; how to soften my heart to the point where I’ll hear what He’s saying – to me.

When He speaks to you, He’ll choose whatever methods He knows will touch your heart. For me to criticize your choices without hearing what He’s spoken to you, is hurtful and even sinful. I have no place in your conversation with God, unless I’m invited into it, by both parties.

I’ll admit it; I can be quick to judge. If it’s any consolation, God’s working with me on this. And, just so you know, it’s not pleasant. But, it’s necessary. I’ll be a better woman for it. I’ll be much easier to put up with when I get these control issues in check.

True; there’s a biblical way of doing things. But, as we all know, we all see what’s written in God’s Word from our own perspective. We see it as it was taught to us or as we arrogantly presume what it means. If we haven’t prayed over it for ourselves, we truly have no idea what God wants to personally convey to us through it. His love might look different to you than it does to me; it may function differently in your life than it does mine.

However, God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), this we know. So why are we all so confused? God seeks a humble people (James 4:10). When our lofty knowledge or our ego gets in the way, confusion is bound to ensue. (Proverbs 3:5-6) He alone knows what He will speak to you. He may send others our way to confirm His Word, and to teach us His Word, but it’s up to us to pursue Him; to pursue His heart. (Isaiah 48:17)

This takes us to the sin of pride, doesn’t it? My pride tells me that my way is the right way. Being humble before God allows me to seek HIS way. And it’s His loving kindness that draws us to repentance and to seek His face; His heart; His ways. (Romans 2:4)

Father, in Jesus’ Name I beseech Thee to have Thine own way in my heart, my soul, my mind – and my life; by the power of Your Holy Spirit, I yield myself to Thee and repent of my selfishness and arrogance. Amen and amen.

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” – 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” – James 4:10 (KJV) 

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) 

“Thus saith the LORD, they Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD they God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shoudest go.” – Isaiah 48:17 (KJV) 

“Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” – Romans 2:4 (KJV)

A Call to Repent

(photo from kevinboyd.com)

There are those among us, in the body of Christ, who, while wearing a cross around their necks, condone willful, deliberate sin. To define sin, we need to look to God, not the understanding in our own carnal minds or the ranting of society.

This is one reason the Church looks like she does, to God and to society in general. She is not the spotless Bride Jesus will return for; there are many blemishes, not only in the fabric of our bridal gown, but in the heart of the Bride. She’s not wearing the royal Robe of Righteousness in Christ; she’s adorned in a dress of her own making.

Another reason the Church looks so ugly is because we, ourselves, walk around in unrepented sin, in part, because sin is seldom blasted from our pulpits, and perhaps we don’t recognize it in ourselves. We can be quick to point it out in others, though, so I rather think it’s because our own conscience is seared and hardened, to the point where we refuse to acknowledge conviction from our loving and merciful God, Who is willing and ready to forgive us and save us and draw us to Himself.

Here is a call to repentance. Let him who has ears, listen, and with your mouth confess Jesus Christ is Lord, and with all your heart turn away from evil, asking forgiveness for your sin; submit to and follow after our Savior, Jesus, the Son of God. Submit to His Word and teach it to your children, before it’s too late. It will take humility and sincerity on our part, and a deliberate choosing. The time is now, the day is today. I join you in repenting.

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one” - Romans 3:10

For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made onto salvation. – Romans 10:9-10

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

Now jump into His Word: …faith comes by heart, and hearing by the word of God. – Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

One Brick at a Time

We weren’t born knowing everything we’ll need to know and armed with all the weapons we’ll use in warfare. Even Jesus learned (Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. KJV) But everything we need is already made available to us through God’s Word and His Holy Spirit. But it’s our responsibility to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” – 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

We need to read from God’s Word daily and ask Him to reveal its secrets to us; secrets that are not hidden from us, but for us. 

Many have gone before us and share their insight through speaking engagements and books. I’m reading several books at once and will attempt to share what I’m learning. (I’ll reference any books I quote.) Demolishing these walls will take time and effort on our part, but it doesn’t have to drain our strength and consume the rest of our lives. God has purpose for us in wholeness, that’s where He wants us.

To establish a firm foundation in Christ, in Whom is found true freedom from the confines of those walls we’ve erected over time, we want to dive into scripture and discover the basis for that firm foundation.

In 2 Timothy 2:19 we read: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (KJV)

So, the first, and for many of us, the hardest thing we need to do is depart from iniquity. What does that mean? According to www.dictionary.com the word iniquity means: 1) gross injustice or wickedness. 2) a violation of a right or duty; wicked act; sin. For the purpose of this blog post, I’ll whittle that down to say that we need to depart from sin. That same source tells us that the word, depart, means: 1) to go away; leave. 2) to diverge or deviate. 3) to pass away, as from life or existence: die. Clearly God wants us to “go away” from sin; to “die” to sin; but I took a better look at the word diverge. It means: 1) to move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point; branch off. 4) to turn aside or deviate, as from a path, practice, or plan.

Clearly we are to turn aside from, deviate from, move in a different direction from, go away from and/or die to – the practice of sin.

Some of us might be blinded enough to think we don’t sin. Let’s see what the Bible says about that.

Romans 3:23 says, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

1 John 1:8 says, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Verse 10 goes on to say, If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.  (KJV)

1 John 2:9 says, He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.  (KJV)

But praise be to God for 1 John 1:9, which says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (KJV)

So many of us claim to be Christians but continue in our sin. It make us look bad, and it makes God look bad to a world looking for answers, as if His grace and mercy are for nothing, as though He doesn’t really save or heal.

All of the bricks in our walls are not there because of our sin. But some of them are cut straight out of the rocks of sin we allow to continue in our lives. Take heed to 1 John 1:9 – get those sins confessed and repent of them; turn away from them; depart from them; refuse to give them place in your life for another minute. Will it be easy or automatic? Nope. We’ll need God’s help. Most of what He requires of us depends on Him and the power He gives us for the asking.

None of the promises in the Bible are ours if we don’t depart from sin.

The next brick isn’t a little one either…

The Nitty-Gritty

If sin is more than an act, but a mindset, what mindset does it envelop?

A mindset that says this particular sin is acceptable, or makes excuses for, or denounces that said sin is, in fact, sinful – is in itself, sin.

Our culture and era isn’t the first to ignore or accept sin and the problems it creates.

To acknowledge sin requires acknowledging responsibility for the sin. When we call evil good – or just look the other way while sin carries on, we are saying it’s acceptable; we’re willing to live with it. When we call something acceptable while knowing God hates it, we hurt the very essence of the ties that bind us to our Creator; we grieve God Himself. The creature is then calling himself smarter than the Creator.

To acknowledge sin requires acknowledging the need for a Savior, which pride cannot stand.

To deny that certain thoughts, words or deeds are sinful, we deny the dominion of God; we lift ourselves up as equal to God, while oftentimes denying God’s very existence. An evasive tactic?

Most adults I encounter know what the Bible calls sinful. But most adults I encounter indulge in a good many of those practices anyway, willingly and openly. Whether we’re lying or gossiping or committing adultery or just plain ol’ hating on someone, we have “good reasons” for breaking God’s “code of ethics”, so we continue in our sin. Sometimes, if a sin is “big” enough or causes bad enough consequences, we find our way to repentance. But most of our sin is swept under the proverbial rug.

A huge point we’re missing when we actively pursue sinful behaviors is that God doesn’t label them sin to curtail our pleasure. Rather, they are abominations to Him because He knows their results will eventually cause us harm and pain, even destruction. He’s simply being protective of His children.

Yet we rebel.

Most of us have read a quote that says something like, Remaining in unforgiveness is like swallowing poison and expecting the person who’s wronged us to suffer from it; the point being that we choose unforgiveness despite the harm we know we’ll suffer from it, because the hurt we’re already suffering seems greater. Our own logic reigns in our hearts.

But God says, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9 KJV)

And He tells us to, Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 KJV)

As a parent, I know that playing with fire might be exciting and exhilarating for my child, but I also know the dangers at hand that he hasn’t yet seen. Should I let him play with fire to discover for himself that it could kill him and those he loves, or at the very least hurt him or destroy cherished possessions?

Yet as adults, God does allow us to make our own decisions.

We all have to answer for ourselves, do I choose to play with fire and suffer the consequences, even though I’ve been forewarned? Or do I trust that God really does know what He’s talking about?

For me, for all of us, it’s time for an alter of repentance.

Artwork by Joseph Poma (5 years old) - sin seperates, but that one drop of Jesus' blood saves us!